ALCOHOL They decrease the activity of the brain and nervous system. But, how do they actually work? What answer should I put when the question paper asks?Nerve cells send information from one cell to another by sending chemicalmessages. These messages are called neurotransmitters. An electrical signaltravels down one nerve cell, causing it to release the neurotransmitter into asmall gap between cells called the synapse. The neurotransmitter travelsacross the gap, binds to a protein on the receiving cell membrane called areceptor, and causes a change (electrical, chemical or mechanical) in thereceiving cell.But, that wasn't the answer.